Guangdong only has enough water for half its needs
Guangdong faces a water shortage of 7 billion cubic metres - nearly half of its needs until the spring flood season in April.
The province's Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters estimated its total demand for water from now to April at 15.1 billion cubic metres, but the reserves stood at less than 8 billion cubic metres, Xinhua reported yesterday.
Agricultural and industrial users would account for 80 per cent of demand, the news agency said. The report said the Dongjiang region, one of the most developed areas in Guangdong, was facing its most severe shortage in years.
Its reserve of 2.2 billion cubic metres was barely enough to cover natural demands and applications such as diluting sea water. In addition, commercial and domestic consumers are also making great demands on the supply.
The Dongjiang supplies Hong Kong, but the city's water supplies director, William Ko Chan-gock, said last month that local reservoirs were 70 per cent full and the supply could last six months.
Environmentalists blame over-consumption and pollution in the Pearl River Delta for most of Guangdong's problems.
Daily water consumption per capita was 0.34 cubic metres in the delta, more than double the national average of 0.15 cubic metres, said Ho Kin-chung of the Open University's environment programme.
Greenpeace assistant campaigner Edward Chan Yue-fai said a lack of sewage plants had led to pollution of clean water supplies that otherwise could have been used.
For instance, sewage was not separated from rainwater and was often discharged directly into the river system, he said.
Sewage treatment systems in Guangdong should be upgraded as soon as possible and public awareness must be raised, he said.
Cai Shangfeng , of the Pearl River Water Resources Commission, said the drought-stricken region had been seeking solutions. 'Drought is a big issue. We are figuring out how to solve the problem and rainmaking is one option as we have used it before.'
In the first six months of last year, 10 billion cubic metres of rain was said to have been produced by cloud seeding, the China Meteorological Administration said.
Professor Ho said generating artificial rainfall was a medium-term solution, but suggested authorities look for alternate water sources in the long term.
